Autumn Fitness: Don’t Fall Out of Good Habits!
Six tips to help you stay in shape this fall
By: Martina Navratilova | Source: AARP.org
Yes, the weather's turning colder, but that that's no excuse to disappear under bulky fall clothing and start settling in for hibernation.
After summer is over, people often lose their motivation to exercise and stay fit. Don't make this mistake, because it can gravely affect your health and well-being!
If you've been exercising, keep it up to maintain good health and a fit body. And if you are among the 64 percent of Americans who do not exercise at all, autumn is as good a time as any to get physical. Here is how:
1. Exercise with a friend. Try to find someone who has similar fitness interests and goals so that you can help motivate one another. Years ago I had a good friend, a fellow athlete, who would ask me: "When are you going out to practice?" and I would tell her that I didn't necessarily practice every day, and that when I did, I usually limited the session to an hour. She'd insist that I work harder, giving it more than I ever had. That's the kind of friend we all need, to keep us from talking ourselves out of exercise.
2. Avoid the rut. Try a new form of exercise, such as a dance fitness class, a yoga-Pilates fusion class, or some new machines at the gym. Changing your exercise routine and trying new things will fire up your enthusiasm.
3. Condition yourself. All top-level professional athletes start with a pre-season training program. You can train that way too—for a specific activity, such as skiing or shoveling snow, or for a better shaped bum, toned arms, a flatter belly, longer muscles, or all of the above. Your pre-season training program might be jogging on a treadmill to improve your aerobic fitness or working out with weights to condition your body.
4. Step outside. In many parts of the country, fall's cooler, moderate temperatures make for pleasant walks, jogs, bike rides, or hikes. Every fall, I hike through the aspen groves in Aspen, Colo., where the famous trees turn a shimmering yellow-gold. While uplifting my spirits, I’m getting an amazing workout.
5. Eat well. If you’re going to stay active this fall, energize yourself with quality food. Eat nutritious foods—and often. For sustained energy levels throughout the day, eat smaller, more frequent meals (for example, six meals of approximately 300 to 450 calories each) of fresh fruits, vegetables, whole grains, and lean meats, while limiting energy-draining foods—fatty meats and dairy foods, refined sugar, and processed foods. Natural health experts recommend a rejuvenating diet of at least 50 percent raw foods, fresh fruit, and vegetable juices.
6. Be patient with yourself. Make changes gradually. For some people, that may mean a month; for others, a whole year. Realize that you’ll have good days and bad days, but what's important is that you're doing your best.
If you follow these tips and consistently take better care of yourself, you'll look and feel better and increase your odds of preventing, even reversing, life-threatening illnesses. Who knows? You may live to be 100 years old or more, still vital, still in robust health. I don't know about you, but I intend to die at a very healthy old age.
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